Nihaar B Thackeray is the Managing Partner of Vis Legis Law Practice (VLLP), where he leads and oversees the firm’s operations across its offices in Mumbai, New Delhi, Pune, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. He steers the firm’s strategic direction, corporate and transaction advisory, dispute resolution practice, international engagements and growing work at the intersection of law, business, public policy and geopolitical risk.

Corporate, Transactional & Cross-Border Advisory

VLLP’s corporate practice is deeply engaged in mergers and acquisitions, strategic investments, joint ventures, corporate restructuring, commercial arrangements and cross-border transactions. Nihar advises boards, promoters, investors and multinational enterprises on transaction structuring, negotiations, risk allocation, regulatory strategy and the preparation of complex and high-value transaction documentation.

A significant component of his work involves transactions and commercial relationships having an international dimension. His approach extends beyond documentation and legal due diligence to understanding the broader commercial, regulatory, political and jurisdictional considerations that influence the viability and execution of cross-border transactions.

He works closely with international businesses seeking to establish partnerships, make investments, undertake acquisitions, restructure existing operations or develop long-term commercial relationships in India, helping bridge the gap between global commercial expectations and India’s legal, regulatory and institutional environment.

India Market Entry & Expansion

A core dimension of Nihar’s advisory practice involves assisting foreign companies entering, investing in or expanding across India.

VLLP provides an integrated India-entry platform covering market-entry structuring, incorporation and investment strategy, contractual frameworks, joint ventures and strategic partnerships, employment and labour considerations, transaction support, dispute management and ongoing legal and regulatory compliance.

The firm also advises companies already operating in India on geographic and operational expansion, recognising that India cannot always be approached as a single homogeneous market. Regulatory implementation, political dynamics, infrastructure, labour conditions, local institutions, administrative practices and business environments can differ substantially between states, districts and individual project locations.

Accordingly, VLLP’s role frequently extends beyond determining how a company should enter India to advising on where and how it should establish, operate and expand its presence within India.

Geopolitical & Political Risk Analysis

An increasingly important pillar of Nihar’s work is geopolitical and political risk analysis, particularly in relation to foreign investment, cross-border transactions, India market entry and expansion strategies.

VLLP approaches geopolitical risk not merely through conventional country-level assessments, but through a more granular understanding of India’s political economy. Its analysis examines the interaction between political, economic, regulatory, geographic, cultural, ethnic and sociological factors, including risks that may emerge at the state, district and project-site level.

This is particularly relevant for multinational companies considering manufacturing facilities, infrastructure projects, acquisitions, supply-chain investments, strategic partnerships or expansion into new Indian markets.

The objective is to identify risks before capital is committed or strategic decisions become difficult to reverse. Such analysis can complement traditional legal and financial due diligence by examining factors including political stability, local stakeholder dynamics, regulatory implementation, policy continuity, institutional capacity, labour and community considerations and the broader geopolitical environment affecting an investment.

Nihar’s work in this area reflects the view that sophisticated cross-border advisory increasingly requires an understanding not only of law and regulation, but also of the political economy within which those laws and regulations operate.

Davos & World Economic Forum 2026

This philosophy was brought to an international platform in Davos during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026, where Nihar hosted a dedicated dialogue on the sidelines of the WEF titled “Grow With India: Beyond Borders — TEPA, Swiss–India Partnership and Political Economy.”

The dialogue brought together policy makers, institutional leaders, UNHCR Goodwill ambassadors and global business stakeholders to advance India-Switzerland (and EFTA) economic cooperation, investment and employment generation in the context of the India–EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA).

Going beyond conventional discussions around trade volumes and investment commitments, the dialogue focused on the importance of institutional certainty, regulatory confidence, political economy and geopolitical risk assessment in translating international agreements into sustainable investment and commercial outcomes.

The discussions reflected VLLP’s broader proposition that while international trade agreements can create the framework for investment, the success of individual investments is often determined by the conditions encountered on the ground — at the level of states, districts, institutions and local economies.

Hosting the dialogue in Davos represented an extension of VLLP’s role from legal adviser to a broader cross-border strategic and knowledge platform, connecting legal analysis, investment strategy, geopolitical risk and institutional engagement.

Dispute Resolution, Arbitration & IBC

Nihar also leads VLLP’s disputes practice, representing corporate clients on a pan-India basis, including matters in Mumbai, Pune, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad before various courts and tribunals.

He acts in high-stakes civil and criminal litigation, domestic and international arbitration, commercial disputes and proceedings under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC).

His disputes work frequently intersects with corporate and transactional mandates, enabling VLLP to provide an integrated strategy encompassing contractual risk, litigation, arbitration, enforcement, insolvency and restructuring.

In cross-border matters, this combination allows the firm to consider dispute-resolution and enforcement strategy at the transaction-structuring stage rather than only after a dispute has arisen.

Labour, Employment & Workforce Strategy

VLLP also maintains a specialised labour and employment law practice, advising Indian and multinational companies on India’s evolving employment and industrial-relations framework.

The practice assists companies in navigating the new Labour Codes, workforce structuring, wage and employment architecture, industrial relations, internal compliance systems, labour audits and governance risk.

For foreign companies establishing or expanding operations in India, labour and employment considerations form part of VLLP’s broader market-entry and expansion strategy, particularly in relation to manufacturing, large workforces and multi-state operations.

Institutional & International Engagement

Beyond conventional legal practice, Nihar is actively engaged in building platforms connecting business, law, diplomacy, policy and international economic cooperation.

He serves as Honorary President – India of the Trans Asian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (TACCI) and engages with international chambers, diplomatic representatives, trade organisations and business institutions on issues concerning cross-border investment, India market opportunities, geopolitical developments and international commercial cooperation.

These engagements complement his professional work with foreign businesses and reinforce VLLP’s positioning at the intersection of legal advisory, international business strategy, political economy and cross-border investment.

Education

Nihar holds an LL.B. degree from Government Law College (GLC), Mumbai, and has completed the International Commercial Litigation programme at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

These academic foundations, together with his transactional, disputes and international advisory experience, inform an approach centred on understanding not merely the legal architecture of a transaction or investment, but the broader commercial, regulatory, political and geopolitical environment in which it must succeed.